The Estevan Power Dodge Bruins were good, bad and unlucky during a three-game northern road swing on the weekend.
The Bruins (23-10-0-1) began the trip with a hard-fought 4-3 shootout win over the Melfort Mustangs (13-14-1-4) at the Northern Lights Palace on Thursday, which they followed up with a lacklustre performance in a 8-3 loss to the Flin Flon Bombers (19-8-2-2) at the Whitney Forum the next night. The team bounced back with a better effort against the Nipawin Hawks (15-10-2-1) at the Centennial Arena on Saturday, but a tough goal on Bruins netminder Curtis Meger with 7:53 remaining in the third period stood up as the difference maker in the 2-1 loss.
“We didn't do enough to win,” said Bruins head coach and general manager Chris Lewgood. “We played alright, but at the end of the day we got to be better.”
The Bruins and Hawks engaged in a defensive battle through the first two periods with both teams bending but not breaking. Nipawin's Michael Grant scored the opening goal 8:22 into the third period crashing the net for a bounce off the back wall before Josh McDougall notched the winner about four minutes later. Isaac Embree got the Black and Gold to within one at the 13:29 mark by banging a Johnny Witzke rebound past Hawks goalie Kristian Stead, but that was all they could get past the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's stingiest defence.
“We had lots of chances we didn't bury and their goaltender was outstanding,” said Lewgood. “They ended up with one more than we did.”
Lewgood noted the effort level wasn't where it needed to be in the Bruins loss to the Bombers. Flin Flon put up a 4-1 lead on 16 shots by the first intermission resulting in Nathan Alalouf getting the hook in favour of Meger. A steady parade to the penalty box ensured the Bombers would keep the pressure on over the final two periods where the team scored four more goals on 35 shots.
Bruins centre Jason Miller, with two, and right wing Lynnden Pastachak gave the Black and Gold a 3-0 lead on the Mustangs midway through the second period on Thursday only to see Reed Gunville and Kalem Zary bring the score to within one by the end of the frame. Mustang Rock Ruschkowski notched the tying goal with 20 seconds left in the third period. After both teams skated to a scoreless draw in overtime, Matt McNeil, Kaelan Holt and Pastachak managed to beat Mustangs goalie Evan Plotnick while only Justin Ball and Zary got one past Meger in the shootout.
The Bruins head back on the road for a match against the Notre Dame Hounds (14-13-3-1) at Wilcox's Duncan McNeil Arena on Wednesday. The teams complete the home and home at Affinity Place on Friday before both clubs head off on a two-week Christmas break.
“We just got to practise hard this week, learn from our mistakes and move forward,” said Lewgood. “We'll just leave those (weekend) games behind and focus on the next ones.”
